The present system concerns equipment for the delivery of mixed seed and organic matter to a ground surface.
In recent years it has been determined that it is highly practical to seed large areas located along roadways by the broadcasting of seed and organic material from a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,237 issued to the present inventor discloses a system for accomplishing the delivery of organic material from a truck trailer to a ground surface with no provision for delivery of seeds.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,742 and 5,125,583 show a truck equipped with multiple boom assemblies through which pressurized air from a blower is directed. Each boom is served by a separate mixing chamber in which particulate material gravitates from a conveyor into an air flow for each boom. No provision is made for the subsequent addition of material to the air flow passing through each boom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,711 discloses a truck equipped with a tank containing an aqueous mixture of seed and soil conditioning materials. Additionally carried by the truck is a blower assembly into which may be fed dry material such as straw or hay which is subjected to a blower for discharge onto a ground surface by a directional discharge spout. The blower assembly functions separately from those components mixing and discharging the aqueous mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,966 discloses a method of treating grass seed with a fertilizer and an adhesive which is then fed via an auger for mixing same with cellulose. A blower at a work site is utilized for spreading the mixed seed, fertilizer, adhesive and cellulose mixture. Water may be added prior to blower discharge of the mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,804 is of interest in that a conveyor has right and left hand flights to feed material toward a central discharge outlet in communication with a rotary air valve having knife components and rotary vanes. An inlet directs pressurized air between successive pairs of vanes to discharge material confined between said vanes in an axial direction into an outlet.
The present invention concerns the provision of a feeder mechanism discharging seed into an airflow in a conduit in which organic matter has previously been deposited.
The feeder mechanism includes conveyor means, shown as an auger, which receives seed from a bin or other storage receptacle on a mobile base. The seed enters the airflow subsequent to the addition of organic material earlier added in a mixing chamber with the seed accordingly avoiding damage from the earlier mixing action. The airflow may also carry growth enhancing matter.
A suitable conveyor for the seed is an auger or screw conveyor which receives the seed from a bin on the mobile base. As the conduit is pressurized the seed conveyor and bin, or other receptacle, will be pressurized to avoid interference with the flow of seed into the discharge conduit.
The present feed mechanism permits the planting of grass seed using a blower with the simultaneous application of growth enhancing matter to a small site, such as a residential lot, or over a large area, without undesirable passage of a truck or other vehicle over the ground surface.
Important objectives of the present invention include the provision of a seed bin for grass seed and/or grass growing material for conveyance into a pressurized air flow containing organic material on a mobile base for the planting of-seed and growth supporting material in a single application and through a lightweight flexible hose. Damage to the conveyed material, e.g., grass seed, is mitigated by addition into the pressurized air flow subsequent to the addition of the organic material.